is it better to be vegan??

Question

im wondering what the advantages and disadvantages are to being vegan. overall, is it better for your health, or worse for your health to be a vegan. Im also wondering what stereotypes usually go hand-in-hand with vegans, and why. I am considering becoming vegan, and I am wondering if i missed something in my limited research...

Answer 1

I don't really see any benefits in becoming a vegan versus not being a vegan. I mean i see it as a disadvantage overall because there's so many things that you can't eat, think about it no dairy products, no meats, I mean restricting yourself to only things that come from non animals is just a hassle.

I guess I would associate vegans with being those hardcore PETA people who go around and spray paint fur or those eco terrorist (people who go around like slashing tires in Hummers). That would be the only kind of stereotype I would surmise. Also like thinking that all life is precious, saving a bug or something like that.

Answer 2

Well, you sort of answered your own question. If your research is limited, I think you should keep looking for information. There is a wealth of stats about veganism.
Overall, studies have shown that vegans live longer than their meat-eating counterparts. This is because they have eliminated all meat and animal by-products which are the sources for cholesterol. Of course we know what happens when our bodies have too much cholesterol! The vegan diet, when practiced properly, is chock-full of essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Nothing is lacking as far as those are concerned. The vegan diet is full of fibre which is also good for the body.
Vegans have been found to have few occurrences of cancer, atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, heart attack and obesity.
The stereotypes are numerous and you should prepare yourself for people asking you all types of stupid questions like "What do you eat? Rabbit food?" "How do you stay healthy?" "How do you get your protein?" "Don't you miss meat?", etc. Vegans are stereotyped as being liberal hippies who are pale, thin and throw paint on people's fur coats. I kid you not. That's not what they are, but some people believe that for some reason.
Be prepared to give up foods that you might not have thought about giving up such as: yogurt, milk, honey, marshmallows, jell-o, cheese, certain beers, wine and hard alcohol, sour cream, etc. You'd also be surprised about how much processed food contains meat by-products.
I think you should give it a try if you have not already. Just give yourself a week to see if you like it. Research it a bit more first, though and don't read everything you see on the Internet. Visit your local health food store or library to borrow some books on the subject. You might also want to check out a few vegan cookbooks to get some ideas about what you can eat.
Good luck to you!

Answer 3

Being a vegan is unhealthy unless you do a LOT of research and have a nutritionist. My mom's friend was a vegan at one point - she was hospitalized because she became sick and her body didn't have enough minerals, vitamins, and whatnot to fight off the virius.

Think about what being vegan truly cuts out: Bread (milk in bread)
Milk in cereal
Ice cream
Chocolate
Any baked goods
Eggs
Mashed potatoes if you put butter in them
Butter


The list goes on. Sure, you can live in soy and tofu, but you'll also have to live off bottles and bottles of daily vitamins.

While I can understand vegatarianism, people were born with canines. We're omnivores, so we do eat meat. If you do it for health reasons, you CAN find alternative ways, and if you do it for morality reasons, I have to agree with you.

(Yes, I know vegan and vegitarrians (spelling) are not the same thing.)

Answer 4

I am a vegan. t is better to be a vegan. I think it is the right thing to do. Al though I became a vegan because I love animals, it is a healthier life style. Becoming a vegan was a smart choice that I never regreted; I look great, I feel great, my concience is not visiting me because I did the right thing. (I became a vegan when I was four years old. I was very smart at a young age.)

Answer 5

being vegan is really good for you. studies have proven that vegans r smarter than meateaters. also it has proven to lower blood pressure and pretty much elimintate your risk for heart disease. it is the healthiest diet you can be on. for more information go to: www.theppk.com, www.vegan.com and type in 'vegan' in google and a lot of great sites come up. the book vegan freak is awesome too. good luck :]

Answer 6

i dunno